


Mimicry is the Sincerest Form of Flattery

by just_another_fandomite



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bucky Barnes Recovering, F/M, Gen, Marvel Universe, Parent Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-07-25 23:39:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16208072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/just_another_fandomite/pseuds/just_another_fandomite
Summary: One-shot takes place after Civil War and after Bucky was successfully “reprogrammed” by Shuri, Infinity War hasn’t happened, and everyone is kinda living at the compound now. Ya know, that perfect fantasy world concept we all wish were real. Reader also has mutant powers. I made this one-shot off the prompt "I will never be able to unsee that."





	Mimicry is the Sincerest Form of Flattery

Today was one of those rare times where there was no mission for me to go on, I had a completely free weekend. Quickly boring of just sitting in my room and binging Netflix, and needing to actually do something, I took to just aimlessly roaming the many halls of the Avengers compound until something grabbed my interest.

Most of the rest of the team did, in fact, have missions or other engagements to attend to, meaning I practically had the whole place to myself. However, when I eventually ended up outside the lab, I could see Tony was inside, tinkering away at some small object on his work table. 

I knocked lightly on the doorframe to alert him of my presence, but as usual he was too zoned out and focused on his work to notice the outside world. Enough so that I was able to walk all the way across the lab and take a seat on the stool across from him, without him even looking up once. Even lightly tapping my finger on the table did nothing but earn me a grunt from the genius, so I switched to my last resort.

Slowly closing my eyes, I concentrated for a brief moment, just long enough to feel the physical shift and, glancing at my reflection in the table to check my handiwork, I could see my eyes were now that of a reptile.

Minuscule scale work tinted red surrounded the area around my eyes, my eyes which were now more diamond shaped, the whites faded into an acid yellow, the irises and pupils shifted in a dark diamond slit, my eyelashes now gone.

I waited another moment with still no acknowledgement before dramatically clearing my throat, causing Tony to jump ever so slightly.

“Jesus, Y/N, give a guy some warning next ti- HOLY MOTHER-,” Tony yelped, nearly falling off his stool when he finally looked up and took a glance at my new face. Within the blink of an eye, my features were back to normal as I sat laughing into near hysterics and Tony sat silently with his forehead resting in the hand propped up on the table, looking like he was recovering from cardiac arrest.

Ever since joining the Avengers so many years ago, I had viewed Tony as a sort of father figure. Or more accurately, the odd-but-still-cool uncle. And he made it clear he felt honored to be viewed as such, and took his Weird Uncle/Father title seriously. Unfortunately for him, it meant he was the one I was most likely to freely mess with on the whole team. Without lifting his head, he asked in that infamous Tired Parent voice,

“Why. Why must you do this. Why are you like this,” he inquired. Finally calming down enough and wiping a nonexistent tear from my eye, I finally got up and walked around to his side of the table to give him a half-apologetic hug.

“Because you make it waaaay too easy,” I laughed as he somewhat reluctantly returned the hug. Letting go, he ruffled my hair in response.

“So what’re your plans for today, kiddo?” 

“Oh, I don’t know..... just wandering the compound for now,” I responded, walking back to my seat, folding my arms and leaning my elbows on the worktable. “I might go ahead and train for a bit a little later before dinner, maybe do some sparring with someone. Who all is here today?”

Tony had gone back to tinkering, but not as intensely as before. “Uh, well, I know the Viking Bros are both here..... Peter dropped in a little bit ago to ask for an opinion on a science project, but he’s already left...... pretty sure Barnes is up in the living room..... and then there’s me of course,” he ended with glance up at me, a grin on his face. But something else had snagged my attention.

“Thanks Tony, I’ll think about it and let you know later,” smiling, I said my goodbyes, wished him luck on whatever he was working on, and set off again, this time with a specific destination in mind.

Ever since Bucky had shown up at the compound, mind newly programmed and completely scrubbed of any Hydra brainwashing, him and I had somehow found easy company in the other. And while he may have been “fixed”, it was clear that Bucky didn’t always quite feel that way, and still struggled with past demons. Ones which eventually led to me offering any help or solace he needed. After a while, he finally accepted. So hearing of Bucky seemingly alone wasn’t always the greatest of news.

Stopping just before entering the spacious living room, I peered around the corner to see what he was up to. Quickly spotting Bucky on one of couches, I noted the far off look on his face, his eyes with that look that meant he was stuck in seeing something else wholly different from the room before him.

I quietly padded over, careful not to startle him. Sitting on the arm of the couch, I spoke his name carefully. No reaction. I said it once more before resorting to gently shaking his shoulder, causing him to quite literally jerk out of whatever memory he was reliving and finally snap his eyes over to me, the movement removing my hand from his shoulder.

“Y/N. Sorry, I, uh, I didn’t see you there,” mumbling an apology, he gaze dropped to random spot on the floor, his vibranium hand absently picking at a stray thread on his jeans. I gave a sad smile.

“You wanna talk about it?”

Bucky shook his head, a sad smile to mirror my own spreading onto his face. “Not particularly, no. Not today.” He gave my knee a light pat with his flesh hand, silently thanking me for asking anyway.

An idea popping into my head, I leaned toward him slightly, giving him a conspiratorial grin. “In that case, can I at least attempt to cheer you up?” I offered. 

A look of curious confusion spread onto his face, but his smile began to appear less sad at the suggestion, and he gave a slight nod. “Hit me with your best shot.”

I laughed out loud at the challenge. Straightening back up, I closed my eyes and let out a long, slow exhale. Within the next second of reopening them, my skin now become a bright blue, the tips of my fingers fading to a dark gray, the nails lengthening into short, dark talons. The same shade of gray colored my lips and hair. My eyes had become a pale, pale green throughout, with a dark pupil, my eyelids rimmed with a thing line of white and coming to sharp wing points at both ends. Along the line of my collarbone and the side of my neck was covered with small, multicolored feathers ranging from reds to greens to yellows to deeper blues. The same feathers ran along the back edge of my lower arms, fading out at my wrists and elbows.

I turned to look over at Bucky, only to find him with the usual expression of wonder over my powers. He and Tony were really the main two people I went to show off any new tricks I’d learned, or to just share my continuous progress with my abilities. And this wasn’t the strangest thing I’d ever morphed into, hence the complete absence of surprise or shock on Bucky’s face as he beheld my newest creation.

“....wow..... so, what’re you calling this new one?” He inquired as I extended my feathery arm for him to examine. Reaching out hesitantly, he lightly touched the line of feathers nearest my wrist, accidentally tickling them.

“I’m getting better at animals. Or rather.... creations inspired by animals, you could say,” watching him as he continued to marvel over the colors. “This one is modeled after my favorite bird, the macaw. More specifically, the blue ones.”

“It’s amazing....” he trailed off, still fascinated. Finally he looked back up, a wry smile on his face. “So what else you got?”

Answering with a grin of my own, I wasted no time in changing shape once again. With the brand new creation out of the way, I decided to fall back on my favorite transformations of all: my teammates.

Morphing into other people was the first and easiest changes I could ever do, and of course, my fellow Avengers were my easiest inspirations, much to their amusement and, sometimes, chagrin.

Stepping away from the couch and closing my eyes briefly yet again, I placed my hands on my hips, planted my feet, and squared my shoulders. Waiting, I could feel myself stretch taller, my shoulders broadening, my muscles growing and strengthening. I couldn’t shapeshift my clothes, but tony had made me a suit for me that could easily change to fit whatever form I took, and I happened to be wearing it today, trying to get used to the feel, break it in. I was now thankful that I made that decision. I opened my eyes again, and inhaled deeply, starting to march around the room.

“Chin up, soldier! Not all of us can storm a beach, or drive a tank, but there’s still a way all of us can fight!” I paraded back and forth, as if speaking to an audience, quoting the old film reels I’d seen to give the best Captain America impression possible. Because looking like an exact clone of Steve was only half the fun. “Series-E defense bonds! Every bond you buy is a bullet in the barrel of your best guys gun!”

At this point, a huge grin had cracked across Bucky’s face, but I could see he was trying to hold in his laughter as hard as he could. I, however, took this as a further challenge.

My next choice was Thor, to which I proceeded to ramble off as many ridiculous Shakespearean phrases as I could think of. (“Why, verily! Thine capes ARE made of thine mother’s drapes!”) Next was Tony, where I then spouted off as much scientific, mechanical jargon I could come up with, half of it probably fake. Then I shifted to be Agent Coulson, where I ran up to Bucky and excitedly shook his shoulder, pretending to freak out and ask him to please sign my Captain America trading cards, and that they were vintage. This was clearly the breaking point for him, and Bucky violently erupted into a fit of laughter, bent over in his seat, clutching his sides.

As he started calming back down, I stayed looking as Coulson and dramatically extended a hand to him as he looked back up at me.

“May I have this dance, Sergeant?” Bucky let out one more good laugh before pulling himself to his feet and giving an equally dramatic bow.

“Why, Agent Coulson, I would be honored,” he answered.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y? Could you please play ‘In The Mood’ by Glenn Miller?” I called out to the room. After verbal confirmation from F.R.I.D.A.Y, the upbeat trombone sounds started emanating throughout the space, and with yet another grin appearing on Bucky’s face (this time out of recognition of the song), he proceeded to swing me into a lively dance.

We spun and hopped and jived along to the timeless tune, and in one last wave of bravado, when the last few notes sounded, I took hold of Bucky and spun him around, landing him in the dip pose, much to his amusement.

The sound of sudden clapping both caused us to jump, and me to nearly drop Bucky. Standing bolt upright we looked around for the source, and as I shifted back to my own self we spotted Tony leaning against the wall near the hallway, giving amused applause.

“Now that,” he spoke, gesturing in our direction, an amused grin on his face, “is something I will never be able to unsee.”

With one last smile, Tony turned and left the way he came, probably heading back to the lab. After a moment of just confused silence, Bucky spoke up first.

“Now, as great a dance partner as Coulson is,” he started, a wry smile spreading across his face as he turned to me, “may I ask for a dance with Miss Y/N this time?”

Giving a smile of my own, glad to see he had come out of the funk he’d been in, I turned towards him and took both his hands in mine, readying for the next jive.

“Any time you want, Buck.”


End file.
